Cinco de Mayo is coming, when all...

Cinco de Mayo is coming, when all good Mexican restaurants celebrate the ousting of the French from Puebla in the late 19th Century. Las Brisas in Laguna Beach will present a “warm-up” party May 4 with complimentary hors d’oeuvres and dancing; there will also be festivities there on May 5 itself. . . . Cano’s in Newport Beach will be jumping both days, too, as the restaurant brings on the mariachis, a complimentary buffet, and food and cocktail specials. . . . On the 5th only, Peppers in Garden Grove will offer drink specials and a free Mexican buffet, and the Hacienda in Santa Ana will open early (4 p.m.) for cocktails, help-yourself, Southwestern/Mexican hors d’oeuvres, games and dinner, all to a mariachi beat.

AND THE WINNERS ARE: More than 170 Orange County restaurants won accolades at the Southern California Restaurant Writers’ awards dinner April 9 at the Biltmore Hotel in Los Angeles. However, the creme de la creme-- the Golden Sceptre awards, reserved for “the grandest of the grand”--went to a select four: Antoine at Le Meridien Hotel in Newport Beach; JW’s at the Anaheim Marriott hotel; The Wine Cellar in Newport Beach and Antonello Ristorante in Santa Ana.

Orange County winners of Golden Bacchus awards for superb wine lists and wine service are the Bouzy Rouge, Newport Beach; the Cellar, Fullerton; Chez Cary, Orange; Five Crowns, Corona del Mar, and Mr. Stox, Anaheim.

CHANGING COURSES: Mongkut Thai presents “authentic Thai” cuisine at the site of the old Savories in Laguna Beach. It’s the second Mongkut Thai for owner Siriwan Laitipaya; his restaurant in San Clemente has been “so busy, customers wanted us to open another.”

Fritz Rechberger and Diane Hickling have sold A’la Carte Bistro in Huntington Beach to Martyn Sells. Rechberger and Hickling move on to ownership of a B&B; near the Korbel Winery in the Sonoma area (and yes, they’ll serve dinner there), while Sells promises that any changes at A’la Carte will be “evolutionary, not revolutionary--changes of style, not substance.” His plans include an English/California (lots of fruit) afternoon tea.

The Restaurant at Cameron Court replaces the Court House in Santa Ana. New owner Jonas Stoltzfus says his emphasis is on upgrading the service, with some changes planned in cuisine, accenting fine continental.

There’s a new sign and new owners at the former Sabatino’s in Capistrano Beach. The name is now Ristorante Agostino, with the DiFante family (father Luigi, sons Gino and Agostino) orchestrating lunch and dinner. The DiFantes come from just south of Rome, so the cuisine is central Italian. The ocean-view restaurant differs from Agostino in South Laguna, which is owned by the same family but functions primarily as a take-out.

A new Texas Loosey’s is open on Beach Boulevard in Westminster, featuring barbecue, Mexican fare and gourmet burgers.

And Tony Montella, part-owner of the late Metropolitan Grill in Irvine, is now maitre d’ at the Arches in Newport Beach.

NO CHANGE: It’s business as usual at Hemingway’s in Corona del Mar, even though the restaurant has filed under Chapter 11 bankruptcy laws for protection from its creditors. Owner Randy Johnson says he filed because of financial problems in fiscal 1986, stemming from “problems with employees and the internal accounting system and other restaurant partnerships that took me away from daily mangement. We generated profit in ‘87, ’88 and,” he predicts “will for ’89.” Johnson says he is still offering the same range of food, with dinner entrees from $16 to $24. Louis Manginelli, who was his chef for 8 1/2 years, is back on a part-time/consulting basis.

NEW AND/OR DIFFERENT: The Glider Inn in Seal Beach has introduced early-bird, complete dinners, tabbed at $5.95 (fettucini Alfredo), $7.95 (seafood crepes, halibut almondine and more), and $9.95 (prime rib) . . . Gandhi Indian Cuisine in Santa Ana has expanded its menu and lowered its prices. Among the new offerings: aloo chat, tandoori fish tikka, shrimp biryani . . . Bayou St. John in Seal Beach is now open for lunch Tuesdays through Saturdays. Poor boy sandwiches, homemade clam chowder and pecan chicken salad is available, along with four daily specials at $5 or less, three other salads and three additional soups.

WHAT’S COOKING: Mr. Stox in Anaheim will present a class on barbecuing and smoking May 10 at 10 am. $35. (714) 634-2994.

The Royal Thai in Newport Beach has scheduled Monday evening cooking classes on June 5, 12, 19 and 26, at 6:30 p.m. $30 per class. (714) 645-THAI.

SMOKE RINGS: The good news for both cigar smokers and nonsmokers is that the Ritz-Carlton in Dana Point has inaugurated a “smoker room,” designating its wood-paneled library (where afternoon tea is poured) as a haven for those who wish to light up after dinner. Cordials, desserts and coffee are available there nightly from 8 to 12.

AND ALL THAT JAZZ: Just Like Perry’s, the seafood restaurant on the lake in Mission Viejo, will present live jazz this Sunday from 2 to 5 p.m. to help raise money for KSRB, Saddleback College’s all-jazz radio station which is holdings its annual fund-raising campaign this week. Cover charge: $5.